A Fox in Sunlight
by Pen Sil
Summary: Oneshot. He wasn't ready to answer her yet, but started a friendship with her that would eventually make them grow closer. With time he found his answer. SPOILERS


I do NOT own anything, I am JUST a fanatic fan with hopes to become great at writing and love this story and (obvious cannon) pairing

**Warning: _ SPOILERS_**

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><p><strong>A Fox In Sunlight<strong>

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><p>She slowly woke to a shutting door, or, at least, that was what she thought had woken her at first, but then her eyes fluttered open and she immediately knew why she had woken. Blonde hair met her eyes and had she not completely beaten she would have fled the scene.<p>

He was still facing the door. "I hope Sakura doesn't check on her soon," he muttered. "I'll be dead for sure if that happens."

Slowly sitting up she noticed how her muscles did not protest as much as they had the day before. It must have been morning, or maybe close to midday – Naruto did tend to sleep in. It was good to know that she was recovering rapidly thanks to Sakura's help – only the best for the Hyuuga Heiress.

He must have heard the clothes shuffle, because he turned with a smile. "Good to see you're up."

He didn't seem as energetic as he usually was and his eyes were serious. Her cheeks heated up. There was only one reason as to why he could be there. Her eyes went to her bound hands. She could handle her rejection.

"You're a real piece of work, did you know that, Hinata?" he said as he pulled a chair to her bedside. When she looked up he was grinning. "I didn't know you had gotten so strong. You must have trained really hard!"

Her mouth dried. What was he talking about? "I lost almost immediately," she protested looking down. "I'm still weak."

He half huffed, half snorted. "Well, _I _think you've gotten really strong," he said. "But I must admit that was really careless." Concern laced his voice. "How are you doing?"

"I – I'm doing okay," she said, forcing a smile his way. "Thank you."

"That's great! Northing too serious I take it?" She shook her head. "You know what? Sakura forbade me to visit you. '_You'll just frighten the poor girl and make her faint – _again! _Naruto, you are not allowed to visit her until she has fully recovered.'_ Do you believe that? She actually told me that. And you were the only one who went against my request when I needed it the most."

He fell silent for a moment and she felt the need to explain. "I – I _am_ one of her patients," she said. "And – and I'm pretty sure she has the – the elders breathing down her neck…" she trailed off. "I should probably apologize on their behalf next time I see her."

She looked up to see why he had fallen silent. "… Naruto?"

He was studying her with gentle blue eyes. She had never seen him like that. "_Your smile saved me_," he murmured. Her cheeks heated. "That's the second time someone has told me that. The first time was that pervert Jiraiya."

She blinked. "Your master?"

He nodded, and then she saw the sadness in his eyes. She hadn't noticed it before and he was guarding it well. "How are you doing, Naruto? It hasn't been that long since…"

A smile tugged at his lips. "I should have known someone like you would see it…" He trailed off as well. "To tell you the truth, I'm not really sure." He sighed and stared out the window. "He… it feels like the closest thing I've had to a father…" and then he genuinely smiled. "But I met him, my father, thanks to you."

She was sure she was gaping at him, and he chuckled, which only confirmed it. "How much do you remember after Pain stabbed you?"

She looked away. "I'm not… sure," she admitted. "There was an explosion of chakra. Then… something appeared. They said it was… the nine-tails, but no one wants to tell me what really happened."

He sighed. "I should tell you then," he said, "since you deserve to know more than anyone. I'm the host of the nine-tailed fox. When I thought that you… that you died protecting me… I lost it. When I'm angry I easily give in to the temptation of using the fox's chakra. I almost killed Jiraiya once, and when I hurt Sakura on a mission I didn't want to have anything to do with it. But then you –" he cut himself off, staring at her. "Why are you crying, Hinata?"

"I'm sorry, Naruto," she whispered. "I've known that for a long time. About the Kyuubi. I'm just angry with myself for never… being there for you."

"Don't worry," he grinned his characteristic grin. "I turned out alright, didn't I?"

She nodded, and he continued to talk. When he had reached eight tails his father had appeared in his mind. He had saved him from giving into the fox's hatred and he had regained control. "He told me that he had faith in me."

And his smile rubbed off on her, as always.

"I can't answer you right now, Hinata," he told her. "I don't have an answer that will honor your feelings and what you did for me."

She nodded, looking down. "I never expected to even tell you." A smile spread on her lips. "But I thought I'd make it clear to you why I did what I did so you wouldn't blame yourself."

"Neji is right," he muttered. "You really are too kind."

She felt her cheeks heat up and she looked down at her hands once more.

"_Naruto Uzumaki! I _told _you_ _not to disturb her!_"

He was out of his chair immediately and by the window in a second. "I'll see you later okay, Hinata?"

Looking from Sakura to Naruto she nodded. The young medic was by the window, where he had disappeared from, in a second. "No, you will not!" she yelled after him. "She needs her rest!"

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><p>He didn't dare come back to the hospital, afraid of what Sakura might do to him if he entered her holy grounds. Though he was far superior to her in the terms of battle she could easily wring his neck if she wished to as he would never lay a finger on her – except for during training. She was his best friend after all. She had become so after Sasuke had left.<p>

But he had other things to worry about. With the old lady Tsunade in a coma and Danzou taking her place, he had to think about his own position. And Sasuke. People from the Mist had come to demand his execution. And of course he also had to think about helping with rebuilding the Leaf.

So, between all these problems he didn't leave a lot of time to think about Hinata. But he did think about her. Especially at times when he wasn't focused on Sasuke, or when Sakura "confessed" to him. At that time he had been completely taken aback and he realized how fake it sounded, especially compared to Hinata's. He knew she might not love Sasuke any more, but Sakura did not want a future with him in that way and he was starting to doubt his own emotions.

And of course he thought about her when his mother had told him what kind of woman she hoped he would find. Sakura would be the obvious choice, but… he didn't love her. Then again, he didn't love Hinata. He cared for her, sure, and he found her interesting, but he didn't feel that way. He knew now, though, that she wasn't weird, she was just shy.

It was when he first joined the fourth shinobi war he got to interact with her again, and this time it was she who had to visit him while hospitalized. Not only had Tsunade kicked his ass for joining them, so had Sakura. And the worst part was almost that Gaara had looked at him with such disappointed eyes.

When he had finally woken up he was in a bunk bed, and he realized that if he actually had to lie down he must have been as close to death as Jiraiya was when he had been peeping at Tsunade. It would take him a few days to heal if his bones were broken.

A part of the tent opened and in came Neji and Hinata. "Good to see Lady Hokage didn't completely kill you," Neji said with a twist of a smile.

Trying to sit up was probably one of his more stupid ideas as his arms gave away and he fell back down on his pillow. With the Hyuugas' help he got to sit up. "To think that you can keep fighting when almost dead but a few hits from a woman can break you," Neji teased him.

"Shut up! She's not exactly normal!"

The two Hyuuga laughed silently. "So, how are things here?"

The atmosphere grew serious. "There are several casualties," Neji said. "But we're getting the hang of it."

The elder Hyuuga quickly explained to the jinchuuriki what he felt Naruto needed to know before he excused himself. Neji, through his status in the family, had responsibilities in this war and had other things to see to.

And so they were once again alone, after several months of not seeing each other. This time their positions were reversed, though. Hinata had been standing a bit back from the two men, but when her cousin exited she slowly moved to his bed.

"It's been a while," he greeted her. "How are you holding up with all this fighting?"

She smiled shyly. "It's okay," she said. "It can be a bit harsh on the nerves especially if it's someone you know. Shikamaru, Ino and Chouji have been fighting Asuma, but they all got out alright."

He nodded in acknowledgement. "Any injuries on your part?"

She shook her head. "I haven't been fighting _that _much," she admitted. "They use the byakugan in a different way."

"Seems like a smart move."

"How was training?"

He grinned and told her everything. He told her about his new control over the kyuubi, about the problems it gave him and how happy he was that he had gotten stronger. He also told her about his meeting with his mother and how happy he was that he finally knew who his parents were.

"But you've known this all along, haven't you?" he finished with a teasing smile.

She shook her head. "Only that you had the kyuubi inside of you," she admitted. "I didn't know that the fourth was your father or that your mother had been the former host. But I'm happy that you know and that they cared so much for you."

He grinned in answer, and silence fell over them. For a very long time they did not speak, and when Hinata finally spoke it was to excuse herself.

Suddenly feeling panic Naruto quickly exclaimed a "No, no, no, no, no!" Looking back at him her eyes met his and she looked down, her cheeks reddening. "Aren't we able to keep a conversation going at all?" he mused chuckling. "It shouldn't be so hard."

A smile graced her lips. "I guess it shouldn't," she said. Then she sighed and looked at his face. "I'm sorry, Naruto. It's because I'm so shy."

He smirked and she felt her cheeks grow warmer. "And yet you look me in the eyes. You're not as shy as you used to be."

"That is true," she admitted, fidgeting slightly.

He mentioned for her to sit down, and she looked uncertainly to the opening of the tent. Then she slowly smiled and sat down. She never had been able to resist him. They would call for her if she was needed. "Then… what do we talk about?"

"For starters we actually don't know that much about each other," he offered. "How about we talk a bit about ourselves?"

Her cheeks heated once more and she looked down at her hands. "I'm not so sure that would be a very interesting conversation."

"Oh, come on!" he exclaimed in an annoyed manner. "I'm sure there would be plenty to talk about. You shouldn't take yourself so lightly."

She hesitated for a moment before meeting his eyes. "Okay," she whispered. "What is it you want to know?"

"What is your most precious dream?"

She studied his expression for a moment. "The same as Neji's. To be freed from the family curse, to create a family with someone I love, not with someone that was chosen for me. And for me to never be sealed, though…" she sighed and averted her eyes. "It seems unavoidable."

"What? But that's ridiculous!" Her eyes snapped back to him. "Hinata, you're the eldest! You're the heir!"

She smiled then. "I am not. I have not been for many years. Father made sure of that," she told him.

He shook his head. "All this clan business is ridiculous," he inhaled deeply. "Hinata, I made a promise to Neji that when I become Hokage I would make sure those rules would disappear, that no one would ever be sealed again and that those who have been sealed should be released."

She stared at him for a long time. He seemed so… devoted. So full of life. And he was so sure of himself. He had rendered her speechless once again.

"That promise is now also a promise made to you," he said.

She sat there staring at him for so long that he became unsure of his decision. Did she agree with her clan's methods? Would she pull back her affections? And… why would he care about that?

But then she spoke, unsure of her words and how to proceed she felt tears trickle in her eyes. "I – I… " she trailed off as she felt tears rolled down her cheeks. "Thank you, Naruto," she whispered and hid her face in her hands.

"Oi…" he muttered. "Oi! Hinata, don't cry over something like that."

"But you…" she whispered "No one has ever made a promise like that. No one has ever told me anything like that."

Awkwardly he patted her head. "We'll find a way through this," he told her. "I won't let any more people be sealed."

She smiled and brushed away her tears. "Thank you," she whispered and turned a small but dazzling smile on him, leaving him off guard for a moment. "Next question?"

He grinned. "That's more like it."

And so they lashed into lighter subjects that left them both with a feeling of knowing the other better than the hour before, and it would not be the last conversation they had for though there were tears and loss on both sides, they both survived, and when they returned home it was to a rebuilt Leaf, something that made most shinobi burst into tears.

Another addition to the happy news, though it wasn't as happy as it could have been, was that Naruto had finally managed to kill Madara and bring Sasuke home, though he did not appreciate this gesture.

When everything was settled he found her walking the market, or rather, he found her looking at a very pretty dress, completely black, but very simple. It would fit her well, he decided.

"Shopping?" he asked when he had successfully snuck up behind her.

She jumped and spun to her smiling friend. "N-Naruto! What are – what are you doing here?"

His grin widened a bit. "I thought you had stopped stuttering," he said.

Her cheeks reddened. "Not completely, I guess," she whispered. He had grown very handsome over the last two years, even if it was while in war.

He had never been as handsome as Sasuke, she would admit, but he was not far down, and now that his face had matured and his hair had lengthened a bit he had become very attractive, at least in her eyes. His shoulders looked a bit broader and he had gotten a bit taller – though he was one of the smallest of her friends, then again that would fit well as she wasn't very tall herself. But the most important thing was that the sadness that had occupied his mind and eyes had completely disappeared.

Grabbing the dress he studied it up close. "So… what's the occasion?"

"There isn't really one," she admitted. "But it caught my attention and I have the money…"

"I think you should get it," he said. "Or at least try it. I think it would fit you."

She felt her cheeks heat up. "R-Really?"

"Yeah! Of course!"

Her knees grew weak as her cheeks heated even more. _Hinata, you haven't fainted for several years, don't start now. _Because she was scolding herself she didn't notice that he was pulling her into the shop, dress in hand. It wasn't until he had handed it to her and pushed her into the dressing room that she realized what was going on. As she tried to stutter a protest he just laughed and closed the door.

She stood there for a long moment before looking at her reflection in the mirror. She had cut her hair to reach just over her shoulders. It was much like the way it was when she had been twelve, much more practical in a battle and she really liked it better this way. She was wearing a white t-shirt and shorts, and she guessed that she looked quite alright, but she wasn't as pretty as Temari or Sakura. She could live with that.

Slowly she undressed and pulled on the black gown. Looking into her reflection once again, she saw that it clung perfectly to her curves and in all the right places. Of course, her worn sneakers kind of ruined it but with the right shoes she would live.

"Are you done?"

"Y-yeah," she muttered and slowly opened the door.

Whatever he had expected it was not what he got, for his eyes lit up with surprise and his jaw hit the floor. He felt his cheeks heat up and the ground beneath his feet sway. He knew she was pretty, had known it for a long time, but she had always hid her curves very well and this… beautiful creature had taken him completely by surprise.

"You – you should," why was he suddenly stuttering? "You should really buy that."

Her cheeks reddened and he regained a bit of his confidence. "It fits you very well," he added.

"Thank you."

She stepped back and closed the door. For a moment she stood there, trying to calm her hammering heart. She had seen it in his eyes, she was sure of it. Something she hadn't seen there before.

When she had bought it he grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the shop and out of the market. "I want to show you something," he said, his excitement radiating off him in waves. "It's a gift from Grandma Tsunade."

"What is it?"

"You'll see."

He led her through numerous streets and when he finally stopped it was at the edge of Konoha, near the mountain wall where the faces of the hokage were carved, in front of a large house in white.

"A house?" she whispered clinging to his arm as she regained her breath. He had pulled her along and he had way too much stamina.

"Yup," he grinned down at her. "Wanna see the inside?"

His grin was returned by one of her more certain smiles. "Of course!"

And so they spent a good half hour walking around his new home. It was big, way too big for a young man who had always been alone but he was happy that he had been acknowledged enough for the town and hokage to offer him such a place to spend his free time. His favorite room, he told her, was the training room underground. It would not do for his chakra control training, or training of any jutsu but he would use it to perfect his closer combat skills and that was enough.

His kitchen was way too large for a person who did not cook, though it was probably a message from Tsunade for him to get a move on and learn how to cook so he wouldn't kill himself. "But I'll never learn that," he muttered darkly as he told her of the possibility.

She giggled and said something that surprised her a bit. "I could cook for you once in a while," she offered. "If you'd like."

His eyes lit up. "You'd do that?" he asked.

She nodded, her cheeks heating up. Would she ever stop blushing around him? "Of course!"

"Aw, Hinata, that would be great! Thanks so much!"

She smiled warmly. "Although, you'll have to buy the ingredients yourself," she said feeling happy that she had actually been able to pull a teasing tone into her voice.

He just grinned. "Sure, of course!"

His facial expression softened into a smile, then. "I actually…" and then he trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was wondering if… if you would hold on to the extra key for me?"

She wasn't sure she had heard him right, and she actually had to ask him to repeat himself.

"Well," he said and repeated. "You've become one of my best friends after all. And… I mean, I could ask Grandma Tsunade if I lost it, but she'd just scold me. I'd never be able to find Kakashi and… Sakura has too much to worry about now that Sasuke is back." He met her eyes. "And… I feel like I can trust you with it, more than no one else."

She felt a smile force its way to her lips. Almost a grin. "I'd love to hold on to it, Naruto," she said, then hesitated.

"…_because … I love you, Naruto."_

They both heard it, as if spoken aloud. She blushed, realizing that she had used the wrong word and hesitated before sitting down in the chair.

He still wasn't certain of his emotions, but he knew now, more than two years ago that he couldn't possibly let her out of his life again. She had become too dear to him.

Clearing his throat he rose and reached for the first drawer. What he pulled up was a single key with a purple flower attached to the keychain. He turned and dropped it into her hands.

"Thanks, Hinata."

"It would be my pleasure."

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><p>She got to use the kitchen very often, and she had the pleasure of eating with him and seeing him enjoy her food just as often. Sakura had often complained about his eating habits and the young Hyuuga made sure that he ate vegetables.<p>

But through all this he still didn't touch the pots and pans himself. He watched her cook, sure, and conversed with her as well, but he did not dare to actually cook.

So it was a surprise to her one day when she entered the house and saw the smoke coming from the kitchen. It was a cold December day just after Christmas, and the first time she would see him after the celebration. She had been on a mission and had gotten home just before her birthday. Before her mission, he had practically ordered her to come here when finished.

Discarding her jacket on the floor she hurried into the kitchen. "Naruto what are you doing?"

Cursing under his breath he tried to keep the food under control. It wasn't working. The kitchen was in ruins. "I wanted to… cook you dinner," he told her. "It didn't work."

Laughing she rubbed her hands and started to get to work. Half an hour later she had cleaned up his mess and a complicated dish was simmering over the stove. "I'm sorry, Hinata," he sighed. "I wanted to surprise you, but I'm not very good at cooking."

"You never tried to learn it."

He chuckled. "Good point," he admitted.

After dinner they exchanged gifts. It wasn't a lot to hold on to and neither was expensive, but they were both happy. She had knitted him a simple muffler and he had gotten her a necklace with a silver chain and a small open violet flower-pendant.

That had been the best birthday she had ever had and the year that passed was one to remember. In the summer that followed Tsunade stepped down and Naruto was named the sixth hokage.

He found her in the empty clearing she went to for training or when she wanted to be alone, and completely surprised her. He lifted her up into the air and spun her around for a few moments, laughing the whole time. His happiness, though she did not know what had caused it, rubbed off on her and she smiled back.

When he let her down he pulled her into a bonecrushing hug that sent chills down her spine. "They've made me hokage, Hinata," he whispered. "I finally got there!"

And it was not the only happy news during that summer. Sasuke was released, and though few trusted him in the beginning he seemed his old self.

But then things turned for the worse…

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><p>He really hadn't expected her that day, but, then again, he hadn't spoken to her for several weeks, which shouldn't surprise anyone with all that damn paperwork. Peace wasn't peace in the Hokage's office.<p>

He was unlocking his door when his senses first alerted him to the presence in his usually lonely house. Slowly, he opened the door and entered. The hall was dark and just as it had been when he left that morning. The house seemed abandoned, but something on the small counter beside his small pile of shoes caught his attention. A key. It was attached to a keychain with a small purple flower.

What was Hinata doing here?

Worry flooded his system as his brain asked the next very important question: why hadn't she turned on the light? Was she O.K.? Had something happened to her?

He forced the negative thoughts to leave his mind by focusing on finding her. It didn't take long. He noticed her as soon as he entered the living room, where she was sitting on his couch. She was hugging her knees and resting her forehead against them. Her shoulders were shaking and her breathing seemed off.

"Hinata?"

She jumped and lifted her head to face him.

His breath caught in his throat at the sight; she was crying. Her almost white eyes showed not only the sadness her tears portrayed, but also a fear that was so strong he could barely move for a moment. Was she afraid of him? No… it was something else.

He was at her side in a flash, gently resting an arm around her shoulders. She clearly wasn't finished crying as tears suddenly started running down her cheeks once more. Keeping his frustrations to a minimum he lifted her so she was sitting in his lap and he was cradling her.

He didn't know how long they sat there, but the sky got darker and the lamps outside lit. What had happened to make this strong woman cry like this? She might be shy and timid, and weak once in a while, but she didn't cry. Not like she was doing here. Now.

He knew how to deal with Sakura when she was crying – she did so fairly often – and he had had to a lot lately with Sasuke still being rather "troublesome", as his advisor would call it. A few awkward pats on the back and a "it'll be okay" was all it took, but… but Hinata was crying as if her world had ended and that was completely different.

So he just sat there, clenching and unclenching his fist, cursing whomever had made her feel like this.

It seemed like hours before she calmed down, and by then he had not even noticed that he had started to stroke her hair. She had been clinging to his shirt and crying into his shoulder, and he noticed it immediately when her breathing steadied and her grip eased.

Slowly he rested his hand on her shoulder and pushed her a bit away so he could look at her face. Her eyes were red and a bit swollen, but she looked a bit calmer. "They've decided to seal me," she whispered.

His insides ran cold. When he wanted to ask her to repeat herself he found that he had no voice. He could only open and close his mouth.

"I overheard them just a few hours ago," she continued. "I… I didn't really know where else to go, since Neji is on a mission."

His arms shot out and he crushed her to his chest. How could they? How dared they do this to her? To anyone? They were family! His own parents might have forced a demon fox on him, but they had done so in the best intentions. That was not the reason as to why they sealed off the branch family. And Hiashi had even started to accept his daughter…

A cold hand rested on his cheek and he realized that he had closed his eyes. "Naruto," she whispered, "why are you crying?"

He blinked and touched his own cheeks. "I…" angrily he dried them. "Hinata… I'm going to keep my promise to you," he told her. "Until then I want you to stay here. I'll speak to Neji when he gets home and see to it that he keeps an eye on his family."

Slowly, she nodded.

* * *

><p>The Hokage was not the only one who was outraged. As soon as the Hyuuga prodigy came home to report, he found that several of their friends were gathered in the Hokage's office, and as soon as he got the news his insides turned to venom and he felt the hate for the head family, which he had buried, surface once more. Hinata did not deserve this.<p>

"You will have to negotiate with the family elders," Shikamaru advised. "It would be stupid to force this onto them."

"I know. I don't want to repeat any of the problems Konoha has had with the Uchiha, or any other village has had with so many of the other clans," Naruto said. "I will not risk a civil war."

The others nodded.

"I expect you have already found a solution?" the newly-arrived jounin offered.

Silence fell as they all turned to him. Seeing as they had not he elaborated. "The elders, especially, will not allow this unless you have an alternative."

"But what could that be?" Sakura, who was sitting in the corner, asked.

Shikamaru and Neji exchanged a look, and the Nara genius started to speak.

Apparently the two had already been working on something that might work for whenever Naruto needed to keep his promise. The Hyuuga clan would do anything to keep their branch family in line and to make sure that the secret techniques remained in the family. The alternative was that the branch family would become part of the head family once more and that a new seal would be created; one that destroyed all traces of the eyes and the techniques should they fall into enemy hands. It also made sure that if a Hyuuga had a child with someone outside the family, these genes would not become active.

"You'll need a medical nin to help you develop such a technique," Sakura said.

"Then it's a good thing you seem so interested, Haruno," Shikamaru said with a half smirk.

"You've been spending too much time with Temari," she declared. "But I'm in. Anything for a friend," she smiled at Neji, "and anything," she said, winking at Naruto, "for your love life."

The Hokage spluttered and his face reddened. "What?"

Hiashi seemed surprised but interested when the Hokage called him to a meeting the next day. The first thing he inquired to know was if his daughter's best friend might know where she was. His answer was that she had taken a solo mission and would be back in a few days. After that it was down to business, and after the explanation of the alternative to the caged bird seal he came with a very positive answer.

"I have seen what the seal does to some people, Lord Hokage," he said, "and it would seem that it only breeds more hate into the branch family. I find it a great idea, although I might have some trouble convincing the elders."

"I am sure they will listen to you."

Hiashi nodded. "You honor me," he said, "and my family."

"It is my job to keep the peace," Naruto sighed, "and though I have taken a personal interest in this case – especially due to my promise to Neji – I feel that it will bring more trust, at least in your own family, if you did not part your clan into two groups where one is governed by fear."

"You have grown wise, Lord Hokage," the Hyuuga head pointed out, and then the solemn man smirked. "But I take it that it isn't only about your promise to Neji that is at work here?"

Biting his tongue Naruto considered his next words. Before he could say anything at all Hiashi opened his mouth. "There might be some concern for Hinata as well?"

His cheeks heated. "It is true that I made her the same promise…" he trailed off. "Why do you ask, Lord Hiashi?"

"The two of you have become closer over the years."

* * *

><p>A few days later, Naruto could open the door to his house and feel the happiness bubbling in his stomach grow as he smelled food over the stove. She had cooked for him all the days during her stay and it was almost a pity that he would now have to see her go home once more.<p>

Her eyes lit up as he told her the good news and she actually hugged him. This said a great deal about the emotional state she was in for she was still a bit shy around him and rarely hugged him out of her own will.

Clutching her to him he spun her around, like the day he had been named Hokage, and they both laughed. Relief had flooded both their systems and they felt that they could both relax. She thanked him over and over again and he laughed all her words of thanks off, reminding her that he had made a promise, not only to her but to her cousin as well.

"Besides," he reminded her, "it was Neji, Sakura and Shikamaru who figured out what to offer them in this bargain. I'm only the middle-man here."

"But without your position it would not have worked," she reminded him.

He nodded.

After supper, he offered her to stay another night, but she refused stating that it was high time she got home. The "mission" she had been on should not have taken more than these few days, so it was better that she got home now than the day after.

She kissed his cheek in the door, whispering her thanks once more before she was off and the Hokage was left staring after into the night with what Sasuke would call a dumb look on his face.

That night he had a very hard time falling asleep, twisting and turning so his sheets crumpled beneath him. With the problems with the Hyuuga family suddenly solved he should be relaxing, he had not broken his promise to Neji and Hinata – he had even kept his promise to Sakura. He should be happy that they were now out of their imprisonment and that they should never fear their family. And he was! Of course he was.

But there was something else… something he had been thinking about when he had nothing preoccupying his mind. Things he had never thought of before seemed to come to mind. He started dreaming about a child's laughter and a woman's smile. About pale eyes and happiness. And he started thinking about what she had said to him so many years ago.

"You must be crazy to ask my advice," Sasuke said.

"What's so wrong about asking you? I can't exactly ask Shikamaru," Naruto grumbled. "And Neji would kill me if I asked _him_."

"Good point," the Uchiha chuckled.

He had been out of prison for just about two months and had finally gotten back to his old self. Madara had done a pretty good job with him, but it seemed to many that the young man had wanted to come back. Of course he should have been executed, but being friend of the Hokage helped that. Although… it seemed that a much worse punishment awaited both of them. Sakura had forgiven neither of them and she still refused to talk to either unless it was business.

"But seriously, idiot, it's not like you should have a problem," Sasuke continued. "After all the girl has been in love with you since the academy."

Naruto almost spit out his tea. "What?"

The Uchiha sighed in frustration. "How stupid _are _you?"

"Shut up!"

"Dobe," Sasuke muttered. "She confessed to you, didn't she? What's the problem?"

"But… that was years ago," Naruto exclaimed.

"As I said, she has been in love with you since the academy," Sasuke said. "It's not likely that it has suddenly disappeared."

"So… it's like you and Sakura?"

"Yeah, but Hinata isn't likely to send you to the hospital when you confess to her," his friend muttered darkly.

* * *

><p>So when the time came and he was alone with her at last, he asked her to walk with him. They strolled around Konoha in the bright summer sun and they talked about nothing and everything and he felt like he could at some point – <em>soon <em>– tell her how he felt, ask her if she still felt the same. Finally she required to know, in her soft polite manner, what he wanted to talk about and why he looked both nervous and solemn at the same time.

And he told her. He told her everything and even more than that. How he had come to care for her, that she was the most important person in his life at this point. He told her how it had developed and how he hoped that it would keep developing. He told her how much he loved her.

And she stopped and stared at him when he finished. She was completely shocked and surprised and _happy. _She was at first afraid that it was a joke and she almost didn't dare breathe. He scratched his head as people started staring at their leader. Their Hokage.

"You once said," he added urgently. "That you loved me… I wasn't sure if you still felt the same, but Sasuke said –"

"They haven't changed," she whispered. "My feelings."

She hugged him then, enjoying the warmth of his embrace before taking his hand and pulling him away from the prying eyes, smirks and "that was about time"s. After all, everyone had seen it, the growing affection between the Hokage and the Hyuuga.

Their relationship wasn't perfect. They had problems, especially in the beginning, mainly because neither were sure how to show the affection they felt the other needed. Slowly, though, they seemed to fall back into their comfortable existence and happy lives. There was of course the anxiety of being parted (mainly due to her missions and him having to stay and order people around), although the Hokage seemed worse in these dealings than Hinata and at some point he had Sakura breathing down his neck to make sure he actually gave Hinata any missions.

"It's not that I don't respect her!" he whined. "I just can't –"

"We know you've never been this close to another person before," Shikamaru sighed, "but that doesn't mean you shouldn't take your job seriously."

And the Hokage had to agree, though it didn't mean that he didn't make sure to give her a welcome as soon as he was off work. Of course, he'd see her when she reported to him, but that wasn't Naruto she was there to see, but the Hokage, and he had learned his lesson when Sakura had nearly killed him.

"So…" Tenten said over a dinner with all their old friends. "It seems like Nara isn't the only one who has gotten himself a princess now."

Neji rolled his eyes at his cousin's blush and Shikamaru just muttered a "troublesome woman" and continued to eat.

"I see where you're going," Sakura said, half grinning. Ino did too.

"Yeah!" she said. "I mean… Temari's father was the Kazekage – which is kind of like a king in the ninja world."

Tenten nodded eagerly. "And the Hyuuga family is basically considered royalty here in Konoha," she nudged Neji in the side. "Which is so obvious by this guy's behavior at times."

Neji's eyebrow shot up in response, but he kept his mouth closed.

"So what were the Uchihas?" Sasuke muttered.

This was considered for a good while before Sakura patted his hair in a teasing manner. "The knights."

"Fits," Naruto said with his mouth full. He hadn't eaten all day and was determined not to let Chouji have all of the food.

"Naruto!" Sakura scolded. "Don't speak with your mouth full of food. You're the Hokage for goodness sake!"

Forcefully swallowing he blinked back tears. "Yes, mom." He grinned teasingly.

"If Sakura is your mom," Sai asked in his calm _I'm-going-to-piss-you-off_ manner, "is Sasuke your dad?"

"Shut up!" the jinchuuriki snapped. "It's an expression meant to tease. Besides, though Sakura is a lot like mom in temperament, Sasuke is nothing like dad. He's not nearly cool enough."

"Says the guy who has never met either of his parents," the Uchiha retaliated.

Laughter filled the restaurant, and Naruto grabbed Hinata's hand under the table.

Oh, he had met his parents, they just didn't have to know that.

Ino leaned in over the table with a suggestive expression on her face. "So, when is the wedding?"

* * *

><p>Ahh... I really like Ino right now xD she was just the PERFECT person to ask that question!<p>

Okay. Here's the deal. I decided to write this fic because I thought that none of the fics that described Naruto's answer to Hinata really honoured his character. I know he is a bit formal in the begiinning but I don't think it's that big of a problem. And it's not like I don't like some of the other fics it's just... they're really cute and all but they... Naruto wouldn't fall in love with her that quickly! He doesn't even know her that well yet!

That's what I think and that is why I wrote this.

Thanks to my awesome beta who has had some trouble with this piece - I wasn't very clear in some of my sentences. *hugs* . I'm so happy that she took her time with it.

I hope you liked it and I hope to see a few reviews.

- Pen


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